The invention relates to a method of fabricating textiles, in particular apparel and clothing articles, garment and the like.
For those textiles, cotton is a desirable component. Cotton is a natural fiber which is very breathable, hard-wearing, tearproof and resistant against heat. Further, cotton may absorb moisture in an amount of about 20% of its net weight without having a wet feeling. The absorptivity is enhanced by special treatment, for example mercerizing. Often, the natural fiber cotton is combined with an elastic synthetic fiber. The result is a textile having optimum adaptivity to a body. An elastic synthetic fiber which is known for its exceptional stretchability is elastane which has the additional advantage of being resistant to body oils, perspiration lotions and detergents, and which causes no static or pilling problems. Elastane is also known as Spandex.
Textiles made of cotton and elastane are normally knitted on a circular knitting machine, a technique that does allow that a high proportion of cotton is used. On Raschel machines, the content of cotton is normally limited to up to 35%.
GB 2070656 A refers to a method for producing knitted, longitudinally elastic fabrics, and fabrics made thereby, the method comprising the steps of preparing a first plurality of cotton yarns, preparing a second plurality of non-cotton yarns, with said first plurality of cotton yarns and said second plurality of non-cotton yarns forming warp threads for knitting a fabric blank. Said fabric blank is warp knitted such that a proportion of cotton yarns is at least 65% by weight, wherein a selvedge of said fabric blank is formed by intermeshing at least part of said first plurality of cotton yarns.
EP 0 322 290 A1 discloses a method of warp knitting and illustrates the use of koeper or twill stitches in two bar or three bar warp knitted fabrics, wherein for warp-knitted fabrics having a two-course repeat pattern of alternating first and second bar yarns, the fabric being prepared by interlocking the first and second bar yarns using a combination of knit and laid-in stitches in opposite fashion.